The American Feed Industry Association, with the Quality and Safety System for Specialty Feed Ingredients and their Mixtures (FAMI-QS) and Eurofins, is revising the International Safe Feed/Safe Food and FAMI-QS certification systems to align with the latest certification updates.

The International Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program and the FAMI-QS code will align with the new ISO High Level Structure for Management Systems, Rules for Certification Bodies and the Rules for Operators with the latest version of the applicable accreditation standards, ISO 17021 and ISO/TS 22003.

ISO established a new Management System Standards' (MSS) structure, and in 2012, the update of various documents, derivatives and a new annex, Annex SL, was completed.

"The Annex SL defines a high level of structure with an identical core text for all new and revised management system standards. It reinforces the process approach and the risk thinking," said Henry Turlington, Ph.D., AFIA director of quality and manufacturing regulatory affairs.

Turlington added the alignment with the ISO high-level structure will help unify the certification and eliminate conflicts and confusion with certified operators on a regional standpoint. The International Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program and FAMI-QS code's content will improve due to the audible document requirements and the institution of an educational guide for the specialty feed ingredient sector.

AFIA, FAMI-QS and Eurofins want to contribute to the continuous improvement of specialty feed ingredients' quality and feed safety aspects. The group works to provide a solid, robust and transparent quality and feed safety management system, for the animal feed industry. The partners have announced a call to action as they establish working groups in North America to manage the review and revision process. Turlington will chair the groups.

For more details on the International Safe Feed/Safe Food certification program, visit www.safefeedsafefood.org. There are currently 26 facilities in the U.S. certified through this program.